When I was 17, a great scientist of consciousness, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, taught me something unforgettable.
I was becoming fascinated by the potential of the human mind. I’d learned the Transcendental Meditation technique and was studying Psychology.
I’d been reading Abraham Maslow and Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching. And generally pondering life and how to get to higher states of consciousness. But, like most beginners, I was making a lot of mistakes:
- confusing the goal with the path
- thinking I could figure this all out myself without help from mentors who’d been there before
- believing reading books is enough to create lasting personal change.
Until one day, I took a course by Maharishi, where he said:
“Knowledge is for action. Action is for achievement. Achievement is for fulfillment.”
That day, my whole life changed.
Because I realized that you have to act on what you know to make it useful. (University education was great, but a bit short on implementation).
That the best action achieves something that gets you closer to your goal. You want to be intentional in your choices.
That the purpose of knowledge is not the collection of ideas and facts, but fulfillment. And that transforming knowledge, put into action, satisfies your heart, your mind, your whole being.
Which led me to meditate twice every day for 50 years. Best choice ever.